Parents don’t have to make these decisions alone. The recent vaccination schedule changes place a greater responsibility on parents and caregivers to partner with trusted healthcare providers to ensure vaccine protection for children.
As a local public health official, I see firsthand how well-functioning immunization programs protect communities. When guidance is clear and access is straightforward, vaccination works. When systems become confusing and fragmented, children fall through the cracks. In our public health immunization clinic, parents and caregivers arrive with thoughtful questions. They are sometimes anxious and often overwhelmed, but they’re always driven by love and responsibility. Clear, science-based guidance builds confidence. Confusion erodes it.
The shift away from so‑called “routine” childhood vaccinations could not be happening at a more dangerous time. Vaccination rates are already below the levels needed to protect communities, and diseases once thought to be under control are resurging. In 2025, measles sickened more than 2,200 people across 45 states and claimed children’s lives—marking the highest number of measles cases since 1991. As immunization rates continue to decline, whooping cough has also reemerged, with more than 35,000 cases reported in 2024.
What makes the change in the routine vaccine schedule even more troubling is how it was made. For decades, the childhood vaccine schedule evolved through a careful, transparent process relying on scientific evidence and expert consensus. This recent change bypassed the standard review process and instead, followed a directive to model U.S. vaccination policy after countries with fewer vaccines. That approach fails to account for fundamental differences in health systems, access to care, and disease risks between countries. That is policy driven by politics instead of evidence. It is not how trust is built.
Professional medical organizations recognized this immediately.
As parents make sense of these changes, there are a few important things to know. First, the science supporting childhood vaccines has not changed. The new recommendations are not based on new concerns about vaccine safety or effectiveness. Vaccines protect children from infections that can lead to missed school, hospitalizations, lifelong disability, and death.
Second, childhood vaccines remain covered by insurance, including those now listed under high-risk or shared clinical decision-making categories. Federal programs such as Vaccines for Children continue to ensure access. Cost should not stand in the way of protecting a child’s health.
Finally, where parents get their information matters. Parents deserve trusted, credible guidance. Having a healthcare provider who listens, answers questions honestly, shares clinical evidence, explores family values, and supports informed decisions is essential. So keep the thoughtful questions coming!
The stakes for children are high. Although none of us can prevent every risk children face, we do share responsibility for how those risks are managed. As preventable diseases reemerge and vaccine guidance evolves, trusted partnerships between families and medical professionals are more essential than ever to keeping children healthy and safe.
Dr. Becky Thomas, is the medical director at Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.